Hervé Splits Sophomore Double-Album ‘Hallucinated Surf’ Into Thrill and Chill Halves

Music, much like people, is a product of its environment. Hervé comes from the same school of thought, and he uses the concept as the driving force behind his sophomore LP, Hallucinated Surf. The forward-facing producer split his 20-track release straight down the seam, strategically switching up his surroundings for each half of the project.

For the first portion, he holed up in his London studio to use the bustling city streets as his backdrop. From it, he drew inspiration for the kind of wobbly whoppers and cortex-blistering bass cuts he’s been pioneering since the off. The second section sees him taking a complete 180, changing modes by receding to the countryside. In doing so, he was able to drown out the blaring racket of the rave in exchange for more contemplative conditions. The idyllic landscapes and serene nature of the scene lend themselves to a chunk of ambient tones and downtempo nuances, which he uses to channel the comedown, rather than the conventional club fodder most artists are always chasing after.

While both the thrill and chill parts could easily stand on their own, it’s through stitching the diametric pieces together that Hervé can cover the entire timeline of a party. From the blaring hits of low-end appointed for peak-hour to the ethereal textures associated with driving off into the sunrise, the album is a stern reminder that electronic music doesn’t always have to be so unilateral. As Hallucinated Surf gets ready to break at the end of the week, we took the time to poke around the head of its maker. In addition to the nice little chat we had, he was kind enough to offer up a remix of featured cut “Bang the Drum,” by one of his close comrades, KC Lights. You will smash this stabby slab of excellence repeatedly, if you know what is good for you.

How long has Hallucinated Surf been in the making?
I probably started the first track at the beginning of 2015 and was supposed to deliver the full project by mid-November that year, but it kept getting put back, as I wanted to keep going until I got it just right. I think I finally delivered the finished album at the end of February this year, so roughly, it took 14 months to complete.

The second portion is attached to a whole bank of memories you’ve tapped into throughout the release. Would you care to shed some light on a few specific ones that played a larger role in its creation?
It’s like playing old videos in your head, I suppose: coming back home after a rave in the summer and the sun is up at 4:30 am, and just sitting in the back garden, staring out over miles of cornfields; being 10 or 11 years old with my brothers, and swimming in rivers, which feels like a lifetime ago (do people still dare to jump into English rivers?); getting lost at night at a festival with all the weird lights and sounds clashing with each other in a weird, psychedelic, dreamy mess; late-night tripping in a foot of snow across the fields. These are the kind of things that floated around when I was working on Part 2 of Hallucinated Surf.

It’s broken up into two parts—the first showcasing your signature approach to club tunes, and the second being a more introspective listen. In what ways does each part reflect you, not only as an artist, but also on a personal level?
I suppose the two parts identify music for the body and music for the heart—or sit-down music and stand-up music! Part 2 is as important to me as Part 1; I like more than just dance music, and I think a lot of music listeners are like that. Things are less tribal in that respect. My last album, The Art of Disappearing, and Part 2 of this album are about expressing a side of myself that was not reflected in the work I had done before, but was always there. I’m much happier with things now; this is being accepted as part of what I do as Hervé. It’s not easy, it takes time, but I think I’m getting there.

Which of the two felt like more of a challenge, and why?
I think, maybe, Part 1. I knew the sound I wanted for both parts. It was clear in my head, but Part 1 went through a lot of abandoned tracks before I felt it was really representing me.

You decided to write each half in entirely different environments, choosing the city and countryside as the backdrop for inspiration. How, if at all, did your process change from one location to the next?
I think the city is good for making dance music; all the activity and energy keeps you on your toes. It just feels easier to be super productive and tap into the feelings I need to make club stuff.

The countryside is obviously more tranquil and less distracting, and the pace is very slow, which really helped me to sink into the headspace I needed to summon up the sonic moods I was looking for. I don’t have a window in my London studio, but in the woods, I had a big window and could watch the sunset as I worked. This is all sounding a bit hippy-ish right now!

Aside from the change of scenery, what life experiences affected the writing differently in the first and second parts?
With Part 1, I just made sure I stuck to my guns and tried to avoid musical fads. I didn’t want to make a deep house or techno album; I wanted to make a “Hervé” album that worked as a great dance music album (Part 1) and as a great listening album (Part 2). It’s tempting to jump on bandwagons, but ultimately not that satisfying. Part 2 was an extension of, and progression from, The Art of Disappearing, pushing deeper into that headspace.

On the latter half, you tinkered with field recordings. How did you map at what sounds/subjects you wanted to mess around with? Was it spur-of-the-moment or strategic?
A lot of the recordings were just spur-of-the-moment, that I would just record on my iPhone. I wanted to layer in parts of my life, weave it into the music, to try and give it an extra personal dimension.

What’s the biggest takeaway you hope your listeners will get from your album?
I really hope they find it intriguing/beautiful/exciting and fall in love with it. I’m really interested to see if the two-part album is something they really like the idea of, as I would love to do it again.

Buy the Hallucinated Surf LP here.

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